"Hi, Mr. Delmar!" Peter says happily as he jogs over to the front counter, grabbing a couple of bags of sour gummy worms. Harley is a few cautious steps behind him but he can tell that it's more out of nervousness than fear.
"Hey, Mr. Parker, you want your usual?"
"Yes, please and could you add—"
"Pickles? And squish it flat?" Mr. Delmar laughs at Peter's small smile and nod. "We got you, kid. No worries. How's your aunt?"
"She's fine."
"And who is this?" Mr. Delmar says, turning his head slightly to face Harley who is taller than Peter but still seems to want to shrink and hide behind him.
"Oh!" says Peter, brightening up more. "This is my brother, Harley. Harley Keener."
"Tu hermano?" Delmar says thoughtfully, then he shrugs. "Nice to meet you, Harley. What can I get you?"
"Same as Pete, I guess," Harley says looking up at the board while rubbing the back of his neck. His accent feels thicker in the midst of all these New Yorkers. He scrunches up his nose and shakes his head. "No pickles."
"Oh! And we were wondering if you still had those spots open for after school help?" Peter says with a hopeful smile.
Mr. Delmar looks them both up and down as if appraising their skills without even having to see their skills, then nods decisively.
"Yeah, still need a couple of sandwich delivery runners. You boys up for it? It's not too hard."
"Whatever you need, sir," Harley says with a nod of his own. Mr. Delmar looks him over again before a smile raises the corner of his lips. He grabs the sandwiches and slides the bags across the counter. Peter goes to grab for cash out of his pocket but the man shakes his head.
"It's on the house."
"You're sure?" Peter looks sad to not be able to give back to a shop that's fighting it's way back because of him.
"Yeah, use it to have a good weekend. You both start Monday."
"Really?" Peter says excited. "Thanks so much Mr. Delmar!" And he still stuffs the ten dollars in the tip jar with a wicked grin. Harley snorts a laugh as Peter jogs back to the door
"Thank you, sir." Harley says quietly turning to face the man properly.
"Welcome to New York, Mr. Keener. Now go get Parker before he breaks my window again!" Delmar says, raising his voice for Peter to hear the end of it.
"I was 7 and it was an accident! I didn't know a bike could do that much damage."
"It was nice to meet you, Mr. Delmar." Harley says before going over to where Peter is pouting and dragging him from the building.
When they're a bit down the block Peter lets out a puff of air.
"I wish he wouldn't do that."
"Do what?"
"I think he figured out I'm Spiderman," Peter says, but that doesn't seem to be the part that has him bummed out. "Ever since I saved him from the fire, he won't let me pay for anything. But it's my fault his shop got destroyed in the first place."
"You want Dad to make an anonymous donation?"
"You think he would do that for me? It's just— I know it's not like super important or anything and I mean—" He stops talking when he notices Harley has stopped walking next to him and is standing on the sidewalk gaping at him. "What?"
"Pete, he'd do anything for you. You know that right? He brought back half the universe for you! He looks at you like you hung the fucking stars, man."
"I-" Peter shakes his head. "I never thought I'd live up to all the stories he told about you, to be honest. You should know he looks at you like that too."
"Oh god," says Harley walking again, trying to keep the blush from his face. "Our dad's a fucking sap."
Peter's laughter carries them back to the tower.
--:--
Tony doesn't know where he is.
He was in the lab but then he started walking around when the boys left and... It's his tower. He should know it like the back of his hands, but he's also kind of-slightly-possibly-definitely panicking and he can't figure out which door is which and why there are suddenly so many. He sits in the hall with a thump.
He doesn't have the energy to call FRIDAY or even hear her if she were to respond, but he can hear the thump of boots on the ground coming closer and he wishes it wasn't so fucking ominous. Wishes he wore the nano casing on his chest. Wishes he had his watch on. Wishes for a second he wasn't officially retired, if only to lessen the immediate crash of fear that had come in then faded away.
The boots stop in front of him, but they don't move closer. They don't reach out to him. They don't talk. After a moment the boots and whoever is in them moves beside him instead of in front of him, but still far enough away that they don't touch when they sit down next to him.
"Stark? I don't know if you can hear me, but you gotta breathe." The person isn't touching him or commanding him. The voice is tight but unsure and it's the surprise of who it is that has him sucking in a breath and letting sound back in. "Your AI called for help and I was the closest. I know I might not be the best choice."
Tony takes another shaky breath and nods. Slowly and just as unsure as the breaths he's gulping into his lungs, he looks next to him at the man with one arm, hiding behind a head of hair.
"Barnes," he acknowledges through still gasping breaths.
"Do you want me to get Steve? He can bring you some water."
Tony shakes his head. He doesn't know why he does it, but anyone but Rogers would be great right now. Even if it's his ex-murderer of a best friend. Even if it's the man that—
"I don't blame you," Tony says through harsh breaths. "I wish I could, but..." He shakes his head. "It wasn't your fault." He doesn't know if he's talking more to himself or the man hunched over beside him, but he means it. He means it with everything in him, because even if the silver arm is gone, it was the flesh one that had choked the life out of his mother, and he knows better than to think that's who Barnes is. Even after almost having his chest ripped out. He takes another deep breath. They've all done things they aren't proud of. He wishes he could say more but he still can't catch his breath.
Footsteps are quick and clunky as they come down the hall. The creak and stretch of wires and metal and Rhodey.
"C'mon, Tones," Rhodey says when he comes closer and it helps Tony breathe a little better.
"I'm fine, gum drop, promise. Got a little light headed. I'm all good now."
Rhodey narrows his eyes at him then glances over at Barnes who looks terrified and concerned somewhere underneath his permanent layer of guilt.
"Okay then, sugar pie, let's get some food in you. Chicken Parm is as close as I can get to Mama Starks home cooking, but—"
"That'd be perfect, Rhodey," Tony says pushing himself up and reaching out a hand to help Barnes up too. The other man looks down at Tony's hand before looking at his own. "C'mon, Jacob, Edward won't bite."
"I can make enough for everybody," Rhodey adds with a snort when Barnes looks to him for what to do. "You're free to join us if you want."
He reaches up and grabs Tony's still outstretched hand and neither of them flinch.
Pepper would call that progress, but Tony calls it Monday.
He takes another breath.
-§-
hey futher muckers
what're we all up to today?
getting back into the juicy bits of this
next few chapters will be draining for the characters
butttttt it will get better! promise!
lemme know whatcha thinkin so far?
as always, i hope you lot enjoyed this chappie
love y'all
-- angel janeé xoxo 💋